Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is open to legalizing marijuana. He wants to work with the state Legislature to devise a proper path for legalization.
Given Minnesota’s huge deficit, Governor Walz is ready to do what it takes to bring funds into the state, including legalizing recreational marijuana, the Star Tribune reported.
Legalization is also a way for the state to work on criminal justice reform. It’d take a bit for the state to start seeing marijuana tax dollars since it takes time to get regulatory structure in place as well as businesses operating.
“I also recognize that as the governor you got to be bad cop sometimes,” Walz said. “And I’ve got to balance the budget and that piece of it will, I think, create a healthy tension and a healthy dynamic.”
Residents should start contacting state representatives and other elected officials to help push the marijuana legalization conversation along.